Omaha daily bee., 1887-07-01
GREAT ENGINEERING FEAT,
An Iron Bridge Weighing 900 Tons
Moved from lts Position

An Iron Bridge Weighing goo Tons
Moved from Its Position.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, June 26-Two
thousand people saw u wonderful achieve.
ment of engineering skill at HOlmesburg
junction on the New York division of tho
Pennsylvania railway to-day. Thirty
two men moved a distance of fifty feet
the iron bridge, weighing 800 tons, that
spans the Pennypack, and they accom-.
plished the task in the remarkable time
of eleven aud one.half minutes. The
engineers of the road have been long
making preparations for the work of to.
day. Some time ago the company do
cided to build four -arched stone bridge
IN place of the iron structure over the big
creek The iron bridge had to be moved
west fifty feet that it might be used until
the stone bridge is built and ready for
service.
Six weeks ago the men began the big
undertaking with the building of trestle
approaches to both sides of the creek at
the point where the iron bridge was to
find new bed. The trestling had an
average height of twenty four feet, and Is
on line with the grade of the old rail.
road. The timber of tho western APP
proach covered about 276 feet, while the
were driven in the middle of the stream,
on which was reared a strong trestle-
work fifty feet long and on level with
and contlnguOus to the stone pier under
the bridge. Trestles of the same length
and height were then built on both banks
OF the creek and in a continuous line
from the stone abutmcnts.
Every man was ut his post, and tho
great throng of people was watching
with eager interest when the whizz of the
fast line was heard, and the tram thun.
dcred over the bridge seven minutes late
AS it dashed away superintendent Ford
gave the word to his army of laborers,
and 1t was scene of transltory anima-
ton as they tore up rails and cut away
the fastenngs of the bridge. The bridge
had no sooner been released than MIR.
Mershon gave the signal, and the thirty.
two men began to wind the "crabs." As
the bridge began to slowly move, more
men went on it pouring oil on the tallow-
creased rails. Superintendent Crawford
and the other officers had watches in
their hands rs tho big iron structure
moved calmly toward the end Of the
trestling. At one time the eastern end
began to lag, but it was only for few
moments, and soon the bridge slid over
the rails to its resting place without
mishap and IN the brief period of eleven
and'a half minutes, while II mighty cheer
went up from the people. With lightning.
like rapidity the gangs on both sides OF
tHt CIcSh lolc up anu lulu uOWu frogs,
switches, sleepers and showed the rails to
the new bed. They soon mad the rails
connected with the two tracks ON the
bridge A half hour after the bridge had
been cut loose heavy construction tram
was run over the structure and at 1919
the Philadelphia express dashed across.
New Things in the Fireworks Line.
New York Evening Post: The new
things IN the fireworks line which are
sold by large downtown dealers are
numerous. For the small boy there are
number of extra large and extra noisy
torpedoes, which are said not to be dan.
gerous to the user, although eXasperating
to all hearers. From China come a lot
of larger and consequently nosier fire.
crackers than have ever been in the
country before. The ordinary fire-cracker
is being sold in larger quantities every
year. This Is the only kind of fire.
works not made in this country, it being
absolutely impossible to come anywhere
near the price they can be imported for.
Two thousand four hundred fire crack
ers cost the retail dealer 81, and cannot
be made here for less than twice that
amount There are colored FREELY wheels
which send out white and vari colored
jets of flame, the colored tiger-lily, which
revOlves at IA great rate of speed, and
sends out tongues of flame, making il
look like q gorgeous flower; falling leaf.
lets, which send out broad stream of
silver and gold flakes, which last for
some time; rockets which send forth all
kinds of stars, figures, ETC., in all the
colors OF the rainbow.